You don't have to try so hard (I like you just the way you are)
by Twistedloveaffair69
Summary: Because all everyone ever cared about was Bella's story, no one ever paid attention to mine.
1. Chapter 1

**You Don't Have to Try So Hard (I Like You Just the Way You Are)**

 **Summary:** **Because all everyone ever cared about was Bella's story, no one ever paid attention to mine.**

 **Chapter One: Put your make-up on, Get your nails done, Curl your hair, Run the extra mile, Keep it slim, so they like you...do they like you?**

 _"Ariel: "Why do such stories always sound so sad? Why can't people part on more amiable terms?"_  
 _Danny: "Human nature," he said. "When feelings change and a person is at their most insecure, it's a matter of personal survival, I think. It's not always meant to hurt, but it often does."_  
 _― Judith-Victoria Douglas, __Ariel's Cottage _

* * *

Lauren didn't understand why people liked Bella so much.

It couldn't be her appearance, because Bella Swan was plain, pale, wore no makeup, and her clothes always looked like they came from the sales rack at Old Navy.

It also couldn't be her personality because Bella had as much personality as a white wall.

So what was it about her that made all the boys lose their minds over her? What was it about her that made Edward Cullen, the boy who had never even spared Lauren a second glance, date her? What was it about her that made Mike Newton, her Ex who Lauren had broken up with because Jessica was in love with him, follow her around like a love sick puppy? What was it about her that had Jacob, the hot Native-American boy who Lauren had seen often at the beach, willing to be treated like second best to be in her life?

What was it about Bella freaking Swan that had Lauren's boyfriend Tyler trying to ask her to dances instead of his own girlfriend?

It made no sense.

Lauren spent hours every morning working on getting her hair and makeup perfect. She got her nails redid every week. She woke up at 5:30 in the morning so she could run around the neighborhood to keep herself in shape. She dieted and read every magazine on fashion that could get her hands on.

She did everything right.

So where was her love triangle?

Lauren sighed, as she watched Bella talking to Mike at her locker, no doubt rejecting another one of his requests to hang out.

It was really pathetic how much effort Mike put into flirting with Bella, a girl who was never going to give him the time of day, when Jessica, who was much prettier in Lauren's opinion, would kill to have even a second of his time.

Lauren walked outside and wasn't surprised to see Jacob Black in the parking lot leaning against Bella's truck.

He didn't even look mad that Bella was taking her sweet time coming outside.

She would bet anything that Bella probably didn't even remember she left him waiting out here.

It really pissed her off.

Lauren fluffed her hair and brushed imaginary dirt off her jeans, before walking past him. She waited for a whistle, or a hitch in breath, maybe even a smile.

Jacob didn't even blink in her direction.

Lauren frowned, and her shoulders sagged.

"Seriously?" she mumbled, and looked around for Tyler.

He was supposed to give her a ride home, but Lauren didn't see his car anywhere.

This was the third time he left without her. Lauren gritted her teeth. Things like this never used to happen before Bella Swan came. Tyler used to be waiting for her in the hall when she came out of class and walk her to his van. Proud to have the prettiest, most popular girl on his arm.

Now she was old news.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jacob asked, and Lauren realized she had been standing in the lot staring into space for the last five minutes.

"I'm fine," she snapped, angry at herself.

Jacob held his hands up in a I-mean-no-harm gesture and took a step back.

"No need to bite my head off," he said, "I was just trying to be nice, Lauren,"

"Well, I don't need you to be nice to me. So go back to waiting for your girlfriend- no wait," Lauren fake gasped, "she's not your girlfriend, is she? Didn't she say that you were like a brother to her? Beyond friend zoned,"

Jacob face went blank for a minute, before he smirked.

"Nice burn," he conceded, with a slow clap, "I really felt that one,"

Lauren raised an eyebrow, "You're not mad?"

Jacob shrugged.

"You have a point. So what's got you so crabby?" He questioned.

"My boyfriend went home without me," Lauren said, and Jacob tilted his head.

"And?" Jacob asked.

"He was my ride," Lauren added, and Jacob nodded.

"Oh," he stated.

There was a moment of silence, and then Lauren's dark expression morphed into a sad one.

"It's not just Tyler," Lauren admitted, "It's all guys…even the girls. Everyone's so obsessed with Bella. They don't even remember me anymore,"

Jacob looked at her and didn't say anything.

"I do everything I can to stay on top. I'm in all the right clubs, I know all the right people, I keep up with the latest fashions, the latest gossip, I go to all the right parties, even when I don't want to. So why am I last year's news? I mean, look at you," Lauren gestured to him, "You didn't even glance up when I walked by! You're a hot guy, you could probably get any girl you wanted and yet you're here waiting for Bella freaking Swan. And she's inside getting a confidence boost from Mike Newton, Ugh!"

Lauren threw up her hands frustrated.

"It's just not fair!"

Jacob's eyes widened and then he gave her a slow once over. Lauren fought the urge to squirm under his attention. It really had been a long time since a guy noticed her.

"I don't know what you're doing all that stuff for," Jacob suddenly said, "You're already attractive."

Lauren scoffed.

"I wasn't fishing for fake compliments," Lauren said, offended.

"I'm serious," Jacob said, and Lauren rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she said, and noticed Bella heading in their direction.

Lauren walked away without another word and she could feel Jacob's eyes on her back.

Walking home again. Well, at least she was exercising.

* * *

 **Author: This was a challenge from my cousin. Her favorite character is Lauren and my favorite character is Jacob. So here's my first Jacob/Lauren story.**


	2. Chapter 2

**You Don't Have to Try So Hard (I Like You Just the Way You Are)**

 **Summary: Because all everyone ever cared about was Bella's story, no one ever paid attention to mine.**

 **Chapter Two: Get your shopping on, at the mall, max your credit cards, you don't have to choose, buy it all, so they like you...Do they like you?**

 _"_ _I grab the pillows off the bed and chuck them at the reflection in the mirror of the girl I no longer know. I watch as the girl in the mirror stares back at me, sobbing pathetically. The weakness in her tears infuriates me."  
― __**Colleen Hoover**_ _,_ _ **Hopeless**_

* * *

Lauren was in the mall buying new clothes, with her Dad's credit card, when a woman approached her claiming to be a talent agent from a modeling company.

"You are absolutely gorgeous," the British woman says, "I especially love your pale blond hair. It's so long, like a modern Rapunzel,"

"Really?" Lauren asks, touching the ends of her hair, which had grown long enough to stop at her waist.

The magazine had said long hair was in, so she'd started using growth formula.

"Trust me," the woman said, handing her a card. "I would love to represent you."

"Oh my God!" Lauren gushed, feeling special for the first time in months.

She bet Bella Swan had never been recruited by a modeling agent.

"But," the woman added, "There is the little matter of my fee-,"

….

A week later, her Dad's credit card is over the limit by $15,000 and Lauren's agent is nowhere to be found.

The worst part was that her parents didn't even mention it. $15,000 was a small price to pay not to have to spend time with your daughter.

Lauren stares at herself in the mirror feeling stupid and pathetic.

"Absolutely gorgeous," she says in a fake British accent, "What a joke,"

She grabs a makeup remover pad from the cabinet and tries to get rid of all the foundation, the dark blue eye shadow, and the blush she put on this morning.

She stares at her smudged face and growls.

"A modern Rapunzel," she mocks, grabbing the ends of her hair.

She only planned to cut up to her shoulders.

But she's angry and frustrated, and just wants it all to be gone. By the time she's finished, she looks like a boy.

Lauren stares at the blond locks on her bathroom floor and throws her scissors down.

Now she looks as ugly on the outside as she feels on the inside, she thinks as she goes in her room and hides under her covers.

In the morning, she tells everyone she cut her hair for the agent and they leave her alone. She catches Bella eyes her hair with a smug look in her eyes and Lauren glares at her until Bella looks away to pay attention to Angela, but Lauren sees her smirking.

Lauren wants to call her out on it and say something mean that will cut little miss perfect into pieces but she settles for a sarcastic comment.

Bella won.

Lauren doesn't say it. She continues to wear make and buy expensive clothes. She still diets, she still exercises, and she still goes to every party.

But she knows it's over.

Tyler is distant and the only time he ever really looks at her is when she takes her clothes off, because even if her hair is ugly, her breasts are still nice and her body is still hot, right?

Lauren sees Jacob around the school more often, and Bella always brings him on any group activities that Mike sets up.

She can feel his eyes on her a lot, and she wonders what he thinks of her hair.

Tyler lets go of her hand to grab some popcorn, then puts it in his lap. She glances over at Angela and Ben, who were cuddling, their hands linked onto top of the popcorn, which was just unsanitary. Then she looked left, where both Jacob and Mike have their arms in uncomfortable positions on the arm rest, waiting to hold Bella's hand.

She gets up.

"I'm going to the bathroom," she tells Tyler, and he nods, not even listening.

That's it; she's breaking up with him tomorrow.

She goes outside and searches her purse for her keys.

This time she drove herself. She wasn't going to take a chance on Tyler abandoning her at the theater…again.

She was definitely breaking up with him.

"Where are you going?" Jacob asks, from behind her, and Lauren drops her keys.

"W-what are you doing here?" Lauren asks, "Shouldn't you be inside watching the movie?"

Jacob shrugs.

"Movie's boring." He says, "You're much more interesting,"

Lauren picks up her keys and doesn't dignify that with a response.

"Cool haircut," Jacob comments, and Lauren glares at him.

"You know, pretty soon you're going to gain a reputation as a liar," Lauren said, "And I don't think that'll help your chances with Bella,"

Jacob laughed.

"Still worrying about me and Bells, huh?" he asks and Lauren gives him the finger. "Relax, Lassie."

"Is that a hair joke?" Lauren asks, narrowing her eyes and balling up her fists.

Jacob rolled his eyes.

"You're being difficult on purpose, aren't you?" he stated, and Lauren huffed.

"Well, this conversation has been really enlightening but I have somewhere I have to be," she said, unlocking her door.

"Wait," Jacob said, putting his hand on her shoulder, "I really want to talk to you,"

"Why?" Lauren says, "Unless you want the latest dirt on who's sleeping with who or a mean spirited comment, then I'm not the person people go to for conversation,"

"I don't care," Jacob said, "Can we just talk?"

Lauren sighed and got in her car. Jacob frowned.

"Well, are you coming?" Lauren growled, and Jacob got in on the passenger side.

"Why were you leaving?" Jacob blurted, before his door was even all the way closed. "I thought you liked hanging out with your friends,"

"Please," Lauren sneered, "They're all losers. I only hang out with them because they make me look better."

"Whatever you say," Jacob mumbled, "You know, I don't think you are as mean as you pretend to be,"

"Yeah? What makes you say that?" Lauren asks, looking down at her hands, she'd been wearing the same fake nails for two weeks and no one had even noticed.

Slow decent into obscurity.

"Because you actually care what happens in their lives," Jacob stated, "You care that Bella is stringing Mike along. You care about Jessica. You even care about Ben and Angela in your own way,"

"How are you so sure?"

"Because you care about me."

Lauren laughed.

"I don't care about you!" Lauren said, bitterly.

"Then why do you care so much about what happens between Bella and I?" Jacob asked, and Lauren paused for a moment, fumbling for an answer.

"Because I hate Bella," Lauren stated, but it came out sounding more like a question.

"That's true," Jacob admits, and Lauren smirks, satisfied, "But Bella isn't the only reason, right?"

Lauren doesn't respond, just starts up her car.

"Get out," she says.

"Why?" Jacob questions and Lauren glares at him.

"Because I don't want to talk to you anymore," Lauren snaps, to cover her trembling. "Now leave me alone!"

Jacob shakes his head, but gets out anyway.

"If you ever need someone to talk to…?" he leaves it open-ended and Lauren gives him a full teeth smile.

"I won't come to you," she said, and speeded out of the lot.

Ten minutes later, Tyler receives a text; _Fuck you asshole, we're done._

He shrugs, puts his phone back in his pocket, and goes back to watching the movie.

* * *

 **Author's Note: My laptop had a virus and erased all my files, so it's still in the shop. I posted this because it was saved on my Doc Manager. Please Review and let me know what you think.**


	3. Chapter 3

**You Don't Have to Try So Hard (I Like You Just the Way You Are)**

 **Summary: Because all everyone ever cared about was Bella's story, no one ever paid attention to mine.**

 **Chapter Three: Why should you care, what they think of you, when you're all alone, by yourself, do you like you... Do you like you?**

 _"If you're angry at a loved one, hug that person. And mean it. You may not want to hug - which is all the more reason to do so. It's hard to stay angry when someone shows they love you, and that's precisely what happens when we hug each other."_  
 _― Walter Anderson, __The Confidence Course: Seven Steps to Self-Fulfillment_

* * *

Lauren's alarm goes off at 5:30 and, for the first time since she got to high school, she hits dismiss. She wakes up at 8:00 and takes a basic shower.

She doesn't put on makeup, she doesn't try to style her short hair, and she doesn't even pay attention to what clothes she picks out of her drawer.

She eats waffles, _fuck carbs_! She even adds extra syrup and whip cream.

She drives herself to school, half an hour late, and dares her teacher to say something. People glance at her. But no one says anything and she's glad because she doesn't know what she would say.

After school, she sees Jacob again and, when he waves, she mouths _"Fuck off,"_

He gives her disapproving look and starts walking in her direction but she speed-walks to her car.

She really doesn't want to talk to him.

…..

"You're avoiding me?" he says, dryly and Lauren gives him a dirty look.

"Who told you where I live?" Lauren inquires, and Jacob rolls his eyes.

"It's a small town and my dad's friends with the chief of police. You do the math," Jacob states, "Can I come in?"

"No," was her instant reply.

"Ok, then we could talk out here,"

"Or I could close the door?"

"And I could yell from the porch and attract the attention of your neighbors,"

"My parents are home," she lies.

"Your parents are never home,"

Lauren huffs and moves to the side so he could come in. Jacob smirks and, as soon as the doors clothes, Lauren punches him in the face.

Jacob's head goes back, and she shakes out her hand.

"Good punch," he comments, rubbing his jaw.

"Thanks," she says and heads to the kitchen to get some ice for her hand.

"So, the reason I came over is because…"

"Because you have a hero complex and only feel good about yourself when you're saving self-destructive women?" Lauren finished, and Jacob chuckled.

"Maybe," he said, and Lauren wanted to punch him again.

"Why aren't you angry? I've insult you every time we talk and you always shrug it off. What's wrong with you?" Lauren asks.

"You don't really mean it," Jacob waves her off.

Lauren wishes she hadn't cut off her hair just so she could pull it out now.

"So, you look different," Jacob said, and Lauren looked down at her baggy, grey, Mickey Mouse shirt, and Minnie pajama pants.

"Yeah, what of it?"

"I notice you haven't been coming out with the rest of Bella's friends lately and I was worried about you?"

"Why? Because in a minor moment of weakness I confessed to being a little insecure. I'm fine. I don't need you!"

"I know," Jacob butted in, "that's why I'm here. Because you need someone."

"Not you,"

"Why not me? I'm here and I want to help."

"I'm not pathetic like Bella. I don't need your pity!" Lauren spits, and Jacob rubs his hand down his face.

"I can't win with you, can I?" Jacob asks.

"Nope," Lauren quips, "Now that we've established that, you can show yourself out,"

"Okay," Jacob says, turning to leave, and Lauren sighed in relief.

"Thank Go-" she's cut off when Jacob turned back around, placed his hand on her shoulders, "Wha…?"

Jacob pulls her into a tight hug, and Lauren stands there, her hands hanging limp at her sides. Jacob is warm and Lauren fights the urge to rest her head against him and cry. Her eyes narrow and she brings her arms up, as if to hug him, placing her hands on his shoulders to brace herself…before bringing up her leg and kneeing him in the balls.

Jacob lets her go with a pained yelp, and Lauren glares at him, hands on her hips.

"Fucking moron!" she hisses, and Jacob let out a strained laugh.

"You got them good," he chokes out and Lauren rolls her eyes.

"Masochist," she mutters, before passing him her bag of ice, from where she'd sat it on the counter.

"Thanks," Jacob says, holding the ice to his injured area.

"It was my pleasure," Laruen said, rubbing her temples, "Look; can we just go back to when you wouldn't so much as glance in my direction?"

Jacob shakes his head.

"I don't think I can," he admitted, and Lauren sighs.

"I can't do this right now," she says, flatly, and Jacob looks confused.

"Do what?" he asks.

"Whatever this is," she growls, "All the talking and now the hugging. I'm sick of it, okay?"

Jacob stares at her, and then chuckles.

"Okay, well then I guess I better go," he says, and before she could say anything, he gives her another hug, and then jumps back before she can knee him in the balls again. "Later, Lauren,"

Lauren slams the door behind him, and leans with her back against it.

What was he thinking hugging her like that? Was he crazy?

The next time she sees Jacob Black she's going to punch him in his stupid face.

 _But if she goes to sleep with a smile on her face that's nobody has to know_


End file.
